


Broken souls

by ThatNeedyZombie



Series: AU-gust 2020 [1]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: AU-gust 2020, Angst, Explicit Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, Fantasy AU, Fluff, Like HUGE size difference, M/M, Nymph Rhys, Ogre Jack, One of the characters had his arm eaten in the past, One of the characters tries to eat the other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Character Death, Size Difference, Slow Burn, past trauma, rhack - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:00:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25657063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatNeedyZombie/pseuds/ThatNeedyZombie
Summary: Handsome Jack, an ogre, used to be a terrible king until a witch put an end at his reign of fear. In an attempt of killing him, Lilith broke his soul and marked his face but Jack… He survived.Years after, he managed to reunite all the pieces of his precious soul, all he needed now was to find another witch to put the pieces back at their places.Important!!-English isn't my native language so excuse my grammar and lack of vocabulary ^^-I used the tag "Graphic Depictions Of Violence" because a character tries to eat the other, the same who had already got an arm eaten.
Relationships: Handsome Jack/Rhys (Borderlands)
Series: AU-gust 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1860274
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29
Collections: AUgust 2020





	Broken souls

**Author's Note:**

> This story is very different from what I use to write, sorry in advance if anything doesn't work!!

Handsome Jack sighed at the view of another empty lake, no witch’s house to be found there either. His patience was running short… Just like his life. Or at least, that was how he felt.

The ogre sat at the bottom of an oak, a desperate look paint on his face. The end was near, day after day he felt less alive.

Jack had lost the war against a witch, and now needed to find another one to save him from the most horrible death…

Slowly, he pulled out a little box from his jacket and opened it when he was sure nobody could see him.

Inside were hidden ten little pieces of what looked like a dark rock. Jack moved the box to see them shine. He had them all, every fragments of his soul. It took time but he did it! Now he needed a magical creature to put it back inside him. Preferably a witch as they were known to be the most powerful. Though, they were also said to live by a lake in the largest forest but so far, he had only found water…

The soul was one of the things the red witch had stolen from him, right before she tried to kill him for good. He only survived because his castle fell.

The ogre closed his eyes, enjoying the warm rayons of the sun playing on his face with the shadow of the trees above him.

Jack authorized himself to be weak just the time for him to enjoy one of the only things making him feel alive. After, he would’ve to move his painful feet and hunt before going back to his quest.

Suddenly, Jack opened his eyes wide as he heard something.

Someone was singing a song about the forest and the beautiful water. A cute song, something only one kind of creature could sing.

Jack’s stomach did a weird noise. It had been days since his last meal but lucky him, he knew how to change that without much effort now.

Finding the source where the noises came was easy, this idiotic nymph acted like if nothing could happen to him in this forest!

Jack watched him swimming in the blue lake under the bright sun. He looked… _wonderful_. One of the most beautiful things Jack had seen in his life. Brown hair, tattoos, pale skin… But the ogre was starving and didn’t feel like letting an easy meal go away just because it pleased his eyes.

He moved closer, hid behind a series of trees and bushes as he wanted to stay hidden until he could reach the nymph easily.

A plan he had to quit when a branch crushed under his enormous feet.

It made the nymph stop in a middle of his song and watch around him. Like if he could feel someone was watching him, he started to swing toward the lake’s edge.

The nymph stepped off the water, completely naked. He used his only hand to hide his crotch.

Judging by the scar on his right shoulder, where the arm was missing, it seemed like someone had already tried to eat the pretty creature.

“Is someone here?” He asked, watching everywhere around him.

Poor thing looked visibly scared, not his first time crossing the path of a dangerous monster such as Jack.

After a second of hesitation, Jack chose to show up.

“Hey kiddo. You don’t sing anymore?”

Maybe it was Jack’s tone, his appearance -the ogre was so tall compared to a nymph- or his large smile full of bad intentions, but the nymph screamed and tried to run.

He didn’t go far though, not with those tiny legs.

“Lemme go!” He screamed when Jack grabbed his arm and pulled him toward his massive body like if he was nothing but a small branch.

His screams did something to the ogre. The little thing was so helpless, his voice full of a nymph’s despair. Really different from the screams Jack heard will killing the werewolves and other monsters from the Pandora’s kingdom over the past years. Even different from the scream who escaped from his daughter’s mouth when the witch killed her.

“Calm down pumpkin, you’re going to hurt yourself more than necessary.”

The mismatched eyes landed on Jack’s face, now hopeful. It would’ve touched Jack’s soul, if he had one…

The nymph blushed and stuttered: “O-Oh! I’m sorry. I freaked out because… th-the last time I saw an ogre, he tried to eat me.”

“To eat you, kiddo?” Jack mocked.

The little creature nodded quickly. “My Name’s Rhys! And yeah… I think ogres like nymphs’ flesh. I mean some… I-I… Ah! I’m sorry, I always say the wrong thing!”

It amused Jack to watch the smaller creature fighting against his own words, blushing but mainly, being such a naïve man! 

“Can you let me go now?” He asked, hopeful.

“No.” The ogre smiled. His face closer to Rhys’, enough for the nymph to see every details of his scar, Jack confessed his intentions. “I do plan to eat you. Ogre stuff, you’re right kitten. But I’ll just strangle you.”

“J-Just?!”

“Yeah, some would dismember you. I’m showing you mercy, don’t be ungrateful.”

The nymph moved his arm as the ogre talked, unable to do much as a paw held him firmly. Those hands, they were as big as his whole arm!

“No!” he gave little kicks on Jack’s thighs as he was lifted of the floor by his arm. “I-I’ve food at home. Let me go and I’ll bring you something edible.”

“Sorry kitten but you look really _edible_.”

Jack took a hold on one of the nymph’s legs, smirking at the lack of strength that creature could produce. Though, at least he was giving everything he could in this lost battle. He even bit Jack hard when he moved his hand to place it around the nymph’s neck.

_Adorable!_ Thought Jack when Rhys made a noise close to a whine at the feeling of the ogre’s thumb on his throat.

“P-Please! Don’t do that, it’s… It’s bad!”

“Oh sweetcheeks, do you have any idea how many people I killed before?”

A short silence filled the forest, a silence Jack could’ve enjoyed for killing Rhys, but he didn’t feel ready to end this life so soon.

“Well maybe it’s time to stop now?” Rhys moved his head and managed to bite the ogre again.

This time, he pierced the skin with tiny teeth, and it hurt the monster holding him.

Furious, Jack grumbled something about this dude being a brat and then, got read to crush his bones. Awful death, yeah. But the ogre who used to be a king couldn’t let a little nothing plays with him. Even more after he had shown mercy.

“I-I can help you with that!” The little creature suddenly assured. “Your scar, the curse, I-I can help you!”

“You?” Jack chuckled at the idea.

The little man he could easily bit the last arm off nodded with a pout on his face.

“I -mister the starving ogre- can heal people and this…” He gestured at the large scar with his head. “I can do. A witch did that and you, you’re trying to find someone to heal it. Good news, I’m that someone.”

Jack frowned and ran his gaze on the little man. He knew tattoos had a meaning for the nymphs, and _Rhys_ had many of them. Though, only his daughter could’ve translated the little symbols covering the pale skin. Jack never really cared about that kind of forest’s creatures.

“I learned how to do that at Promethea.” Rhys proudly assured.

“What if I don’t trust you?”

“Then you’ll stay an idiot ogre without a soul!”

Jack chuckled. This one had some guts! Though, it was the first time since it happened that Jack met someone who knew about the soul thing… Maybe he could give him a chance? Not like that pouty man was a threat for Jack.

“I can give you food and save you from a terrible fate! Come on, I don’t taste that good anyway.”

Jack found him funny, and he was intrigued.

“Fine, Rhysie. But if you try to escape, or if I find out you’re lying, I’ll hurt you very badly. Got it kitten?”

“Pinky promise!”

After a second of reflexion, Jack slowly placed the creature on the grass. He then did the pinky promise thing and followed Rhys who couldn’t wait to put his clothes back on.

The clothes Rhys had left near the lake were simple, green and brown like those of all the dumb creatures living inside of forests.

Back against a tree, Jack kept his gaze on Rhys and let his mismatched eyes adventured on the slim body. Jack liked what he saw.

With his long quest to find every little piece of his soul, it had been time since he’d thought about that kind of things. Explained why he was suddenly attracted by an idiotic forest’s creature.

Rhys noticed it, opened his mouth just to close it without saying anything. Going into an argument about personal space with the monster wouldn’t end well for him.

The nymph dressed quickly, not sure to _entirely_ dislike how the ogre looked at him. For Rhys too, it had been a moment. Though, liking to be the center of attention of the ogre who had just tried to eat him wasn’t something he felt proud of.

“My house isn’t far. We need to go there to fix your problem.”

He grabbed his arc and quiver but before he could even take a step further, the ogre stole his arc. Rhys didn’t get the chance to say anything, the paws broke it in two and thrown it in the lake.

“You’re a monster.” Growled Rhys.

It was the first time Jack saw so much hate in the eyes of a supposed peaceful creature. Honestly, he couldn’t care less.

“If you don’t want to finish like that, lead me to your house.” Jack worn a large smile. He liked to be in power, even over that fake elf. “And it better not be a trap.”

“Sadly, it isn’t. I live alone here.”

Those were the last words Jack heard from Rhys until they finally arrived at his small house. A _very_ _small_ home, even for someone like Rhys. Made of stones, with a roof who had seen better days, and decorated with flowers, wood’s sculptures, and different symbols only a nymph could understand.

“Don’t break anything inside.” Ordered Rhys with a monotone voice. He seemed already tired by the situation.

“I’ll try, kiddo.”

Jack entered the house after Rhys, he had to bow to pass the door. He smiled at the view of the nymph’s interior. Comfy. There was a gigantic bed compared to the size of the house, a kitchen drowned in the sun’s light by a window composed of stained glass, and only an armchair as a living room, which was covered by knitting material.

Rhys was artistic. A living cliché of what Jack had always thought about those creatures.

He also configured everything in his home for his convenience. Like a ladder to get on the upward cabinets of his kitchen, and all the doorknobs placed to make his life a little easier.

Jack guessed the only closed door of the home was the bathroom.

“I suppose you’ve got all the pieces?”

Rhys had already seen other people walking in this forest in the search of the one able to save them. Witches were known to live there. Most of those people carried something with them, generally the same thing the ogre had: A curse.

Jack took a deep breath and pulled the box of his jacket. Was he really going to do that? Trust what was closer to a meal than a magician? His soul was in there, a part of himself he never imagined to lost!

The idea of someone else holding the box made his heart bounce. It seemed wrong. 

“Hey…” The little hand was now on his, gently rubbing his skin. “That’s alright, take your time. I’m going to cook something for you.”

He could’ve brushed Rhys off, mocking him for his kindness, but he nodded and kept the box tightly in his hands.

“You… hm… You can sit on my bed. Don’t think you’ll break it…”

Jack did, eyes frozen on the box.

Soon the house was filled with the usual kitchen noises, those Jack could sometimes hear in his castle. Smell of thyme, fennel, garlic… filled the nose of this starving ogre. Maybe this would be a better option than eating the flesh out of Rhys’ bones. Jack wasn’t that much into raw meat.

The nymph moved fast, like if he feared the ogre could change his mind. He placed different plates around Jack on the bed, everything smelled good but not as much as the nymph now cooking with the most serious face he could pull on.

“I don’t have a lot of meat here… B-But there’s fishes!”

Jack noticed the panic in the man’s voice.

“That’s the reason you lost your arm?”

The nymph bit his lips and admitted it without looking at the ogre. “I cooked for him, but it wasn’t enough…”

The sadness in Rhys’ voice made Jack’s heart skip a bit. Why? He didn’t know. During his adventure, he heard worst stories and killed people without blinking an eye. This was probably due to his tiredness.

“He left me to die in the house I had inside a small village far from here. Without my power I would’ve died there…”

Rhys quickly brushed tears off his face.

For first time, Jack felt a bit bad at the idea of eating the smaller creature. Just a bit. He did worst and was ready to do it again just to get his revenge. But right now, he had no more reason to.

Jack ate everything the kid brought him, finding himself enjoying the nymphs’ food and the too many spices those creatures used. Rhys glanced at him quite a few times, a smile appeared on his face.

Once all the cooking was done, he sat next to Jack, a bowl of soup in his hand.

“You sit with me while I eat, Rhysie? Don’t you have any survival instinct?” Jack couldn’t resist. The way this dude could pout amused him.

“Says the one eating my food when I could’ve poisoned it…” snapped Rhys. After a short silence during which the giant sniffed the food in his plate, Rhys added: “That’s a joke, ogres don’t have humour?”

Jack narrowed his eyes, that one was less mouthy when he had a hand around his throat! He could scare him again but he chose to not do anything. This mosquito wasn’t important enough to bother Jack anyway!

Rhys finished first and did the dishes while Jack stared at the pieces inside the box. The things he did to find them… Definitely wasn’t going to stop there! Not so close.

“They shine because there’s still good in you.” Explained Rhys when the ogre finally handed him the box. “You’re not a lost cause mister no soul.”

“The name is Jack. Handsome Jack.”

The seriousness on the ogre’s face surprised Rhys. True, he looked good for a monster but to introduce himself like that… A big ego, the nymph guessed.

And probably a past of lord or something like that judging by the fact he made a comment about the size of Rhys’ cauldron. In fact, it was just a normal cooking pot. Rhys wasn’t a witch and didn’t have any of their magic material.

He placed the fragments inside his cooking pot which was full of a liquid who looked just like water for Jack.

“I should break it like you did with my arc…” Mumbled Rhys, watching the little pieces shining before he put the lid on the cooking pot. 

“It was just an arc, grow up. A soul is more important.”

The way Rhys glared at Jack made the ogre understand that the piece of wood he broke earlier wasn’t probably _just_ an arc for the forest’s creature.

“If you want, once we’re done with my curse, I can take a branch and craft you a new one. I’m good at creating weapons kiddo. A little arc isn’t a challenge for me.”

Rhys didn’t even glance at the ogre to answer: “This one was special, maybe you haven’t noticed but I only have ONE arm…”

Jack shrugged his shoulders and pretended not to care. So what? Should he have let the nymph keep his weapon? Jack learned the hard way to never take chances.

“I’ll need more woods tomorrow. Else the fire will stop before the potion is done.”

Jack blinked, _what did that mean ‘Tomorrow’._ Visibly furious, he stood in front of Rhys, wrapping him in his shadow.

“W-Well… Did I-I forgot to tell you this could take days? Even weeks? Maybe more…”

The nymph let go of a little whine when ogre lifted him of the floor. Again, Jack’s patience was running short.

A second, he thought about crushing it but the little tears forming at the corner of Rhys’ mismatched eyes helped him to calm down.

“Y-You would’ve killed me if I had told you the time this could take at the beginning! Now it’s too late.” Rhys tried to sound menacing. “Your soul is now in my hands and you better stop that…”

Just a little pressure and the nymph shut his mouth.

“Don’t try to play with me kiddo, I’ve seen worst.” A second little pressure made Rhys cry out loudly. “Try to manipulate me and I’ll crush every bones of your body, destroy everything you have and then, I’ll eat you. Got it?”

Rhys nodded, in tears.

As soon as the tiny feet touched the floor, Rhys ran and hid under his covers. Shaking, if Jack believed the way he moved in his comfy nest.

Did he put too much pressure on the smaller body? Could he have broken something? That was possible.

“Come on, I didn’t…”

“Go pick some woods _now_.” Cut Rhys. “That’s the least you could do.”

“And leaving you with my soul? Nope, not gonna happen kiddo.”

“Like if I could break it even if I wanted too…” Stated Rhys. “P-Please… I-I just want to be alone…”

Jack sighed. Leaving this stranger with his most important and last belonging? The idea scared him but the loud sobs he heard coming from under the too many covers made him feel… something. And yes, Rhys was right. Else Lilith would’ve broken it in more pieces.

The ogre left, taking little steps outside but going far enough for Rhys to emerge from the covers. He wiped away his fake tears and jumped out of his bed.

With the years going by without an incident, Rhys had forgotten what the people from the outside world were like. He also had forgotten how one encounter could quickly lead to his death.

He removed a frame from his wall and took a bag he had hidden inside years ago. Poison, knifes, potions that could make any skin melt… The nymph collected an arsenal of weapons before he hid in this forest.

Couldn’t trust an ogre, too dangerous…

He bit his lips while staring at the one of the most corrosive potions he owned. Violence wasn’t something Rhys enjoyed, far from it. But he lost his arm because of his want to fix a problem peacefully…

 _Not all ogres are Vasquez._ He surprised himself to think. Jack genuinely seemed to regret how poorly he treated him by leaving the house without his soul to please Rhys. Yet maybe Jack didn’t act because of regret but by fear of the nymph’s ruining his chances to get his soul back inside him…

Rhys decided quickly as he feared to hear the monster coming back, he wouldn’t attack first. The weapons were placed in different caches, Rhys hid them in a strategic way: No matter where he would be in his home, he would’ve the possibility to grab something to defend himself.

Once done, he got back in his bed.

The night had fallen when Jack’s steps could be heard from the nymph’s house. Judging by the noises, the ogre probably brought the whole forest with him! Good, at least they wouldn’t have to bother getting more woods.

Not knowing what to expect from the monster, the smaller creature stayed hidden under the sheets and pretended to sleep when the door opened.

He felt the monster sit near him, at the hedge of the large bed. 

“Kiddo?” Jack’s voice was different, even the ogre himself could hear it. Probably was this the only reason why Rhys accepted to show up, dishevelled hair and eyes red from tiredness but Jack thought the kid cried all the afternoon.

“That’s for you.”

Rhys squinted his eyes at the little flower the ogre held right in front of his face. It seemed so tiny in the big paw.

Shyly, the nymph took it. He looked at the kingcup, mouth open.

Since how many years had he received a flower? For a nymph, that’s sad. Worst when he walked in the forest alone, talking to himself while gathering some for his home.

“My…” Jack coughed for the sadness to disappear from his voice. “My daughter once told me if I wanted to conclude a deal with a nymph, I needed to bring them flowers so… Here’s yours.”

He tried to speak more but Rhys suddenly got out of the bed and ran to his kitchen. With his surprised expression still on, he picked a glass bottle and placed the flower inside. After, he quickly made enough space on one of his cupboards to place the bottle there and then, gave his attention back to Jack in the only way he could’ve thought of.

“A hug?” Jack had never seen someone running so fast to hug him.

“It’s a nymph thing.” Lied Rhys when they parted. “Thanks! I’ll remember this.”

Jack distractedly took Rhys’ hand in his, an idiotic small on his face as he still could feel the warm of the nymph’s body against his. 

“Here’s the deal kiddo: you fix me, and I protect you -even against me- for as long as I stay here. Does it work for you?”

Rhys tilted his head, thinking.

“And you help me?”

“Deal.”

“And for my arc? I also would like a flower every day.”

A little brat, Jack knew it! But he accepted, after all, it seemed fair.

They shook their hands in agreement.

“Great, now I’m going to find a place to sleep near your house.”

Rhys stopped him, his tiny hand on the giant’s torso.

“We can share my bed, it’s big enough for us both. I don’t want you to sleep on the grass outside.” He _wanted_ the monster to stay, _wanted_ to have him in his bed. The thought made his heart bounce in his chest. Why?? This he had no clue. Maybe for once he didn’t want to sleep alone.

Sleeping in a bed? Jack loved the idea but was it safe? He didn’t feel like waking up to Rhys’ dead body because he had rolled over him in his sleep.

Those worries only got him a giggle from Rhys who mocked him for suddenly caring.

“Make yourself comfortable while I brush my teeth, some people here care about hygiene.” Rhys pinched his noise.

“Brat…” Huffed Jack as he got rid of his shoes.

He undressed himself, throwing what was left of his clothes on the floor. Maybe he could get the nymph to craft him some new, himself never had been good at that kind of things but Rhys seemed talented enough.

Moving with slow gestures to not break anything, Jack finally laid on Rhys’ bed. It felt so good to not be on the cold and harsh ground for once! Or sharing his space with strangers he would’ve to kick off the lodge or eat… Rhys wouldn’t have been the first to die like this.

“We should fix my roof tomorrow, since you accepted to HELP!” Rhys screamed the last word as soon as he his eyes land on Jack.

Face red, he turned his back on Jack and stuttered: “Y-You are n-naked…”

“You said I could make myself feel comfortable.” Jack spoke softly. He had hoped to get a reaction from Rhys and this? This was priceless!

Even more when Rhys turned on his heels, the nymph did _not_ look at the ogre’s face at first.

“Y-yes, of course…”

Rhys walked to the bottom of the bed and chose to get to his place by there than by climbing over the naked giant. Jack was two time his size and so was his cock. Even though, he didn’t look there…

He preferred to lie to himself. Better than admitting Jack’s body made him want to throw his night robe on the floor. 

Still red, Rhys quickly mumbled Jack goodnight before blowing out the last candle lightening the home. And here they were… Now under the covers together. In the same bed.

Only one tiny layer of clothes between their bodies.

The nymph found himself wondering if this could even be physically possible to do it with such a beast as Jack! Probably but the ogre would’ve to be gentle and… would he even be interested?

It was a thing to look at a someone and another to take the step and adapt to their needs.

Jack used to be an ogre lord, or even a king! Not the kind of man who would like to learn how to treat an isolated forest’s creature well.

“Fuck I’m an idiot…” Rhys whispered in one of his many pillows.

“Language.”

Jack smiled when he heard Rhys grumbled something, he could imagine the pout on the nymph’s face. Too bad Rhys had chosen to face his window and not him!

It took a moment before Rhys finally rolled on his back, sleeping like a baby. Not so careful the little nymph. Trusting the man who considered to eat him only a few hours ago enough to fall asleep in the same bed as him... Low survival instinct, Jack knew it!

Though, he noticed the weapons who appeared at different places in the house. How could he not? Jack was paranoid, so many tried to kill him when he had his throne. 

He wasn’t mad about it, would keep his eyes on Rhys for sure, but he understood his decisions.

“Cold…” Rhys murmured in his sleep.

Jack placed a part of his cover on the smaller body, but the sleeping creature found a better way to warm itself up…

Rhys snuggled up against Jack.

“For real kiddo…”

Now Jack knew he couldn’t fall asleep. Too scared to hurt the one sleeping in his arms.

He brushed some hair off Rhys’ face, admiring him like he used to admire his own statues.

Rhys was handsome and not just ‘cute for a nymph’, no. The man looked incredibly good.

Maybe the time would seem shorter as Jack had to share it with such a good looking man…

**Author's Note:**

> Heyyy! So if you liked it, kudos and comments because depending on that I'll see if I finish it in two or five chapters ^^ (or hit me up on twitter: [ @ThatNeedyZombie](https://twitter.com/ThatNeedyZombie))  
> Thanks you so much for taking your time to read it!! <3


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